The flooding that ravaged parts of Houston in April damaged 1,731 homes. Floods, such as Houston’s flood, affect much more than just homes, They impact businesses as well as cars and trucks. With that in mind, I thought we’d take a look at the impact flooding has on cars and answer the question, do you know what kind of car insurance coverage protects against a flooded vehicle.
When a massive amount of rain falls in a short period of time, flooding is inevitable. After seeing these two events, I felt it important to revisit flood insurance by answers some of the questions I’m asked by homeowners. Over the next two weeks, I’ll also answer the question of who needs flood insurance and talk about cleaning up after a flood.
What substances can contribute to a DUI in Texas and what is the impact on your car insurance? I wanted to raise these questions in light of an article written by AP journalist Michael Balsamo which appeared in the Dallas Morning News the other day. The article was about a young woman who was killed while riding in a friend’s car when they were struck by a driver who’d inhaled aerosol dust cleaner in order to get high.
You open the front door to your home only to step into water. There’s a leak. Who repairs the damage caused by the leak? Or you’re in an accident and need a body shop to repair your car. Who do you take your car to for the repair work? I get these questions from clients before or after the insurance claim is filed whether it’s a home or car claim.
Since the FAA announced regulations for drones in early 2015, the predictions of how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will be used has exploded. Sales for drones have also exploded as have the number of registered drone operators. As with any new technology, insurance companies began responding to how to cover them, how to exclude coverage for them, and what policies are required to get it right. Let’s take a look at what’s evolving with commercial drone insurance.
Over the last 8 weeks, Texas has been struck by four major hail storms, three in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and one in San Antonio. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, initial estimates for the two hail storms that struck north Texas were a combined $1.3 billion in damages to homes, vehicles, and businesses. The estimated total number of vehicles struck by hail in those two storms alone was 80,000. The storm that hit in early April should push the damage totals for all three north Texas storms close to $2 billion.
There’s an adage that says, “Lightening doesn’t strike the same place twice.” That may or may not be true for lightening, but hail, it appears, isn’t that selective. The storm that raked across north Texas last week struck many of the same communities and homes that were struck on March 23. One of the first calls I received from clients was from a couple who were hit by both storms. I think this is a good backdrop to address the question of how insurance companies respond to multiple hail claims for the same client.
As I write this, I’ve answered several calls and text message from clients about the latest hail storm that hit Denton and Colling counties Monday evening. The hail started out the size of golf balls and grew to baseball and softball size as it traveled east. Last week, I outlined the first step I recommend most clients take, which is to have a local roofer survey your roof for damage. The next step is to file the home insurance claim by calling the claim number for the carrier.
Last week, I introduced the topic of Sheri’s and my car accident, which happened three weeks ago, and outlined what to do if you’re involved in an accident while at the accident scene. This week, I will outline the claim process we went through and how a decision we made a few months ago on our car’s coverage shaped our options. Maybe our experience will help you navigate a car insurance claim.
Hail season in north Texas typically runs from April through June each year. You wouldn’t know that considering the two hail storms that struck our area in March. The combined estimated losses are around $1.1 billion dollars in damages to homes, cars, and business property. It makes you wonder what the rest of the season may look like!
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